Nitrogen-ozone laser

ABSTRACT

A GAS LASER UTILIZES VIBRATIONALLY EXCITED NITROGEN AS AN ENERGIZING GAS AND, THOUGH RESONANT COLLISIONS WITH A LASING GAS, TRANSFERS THE ENERGY TO THE LASING GAS, PREFERENTIALLY TO AN UPPER LASER ENERGY LEVEL. THE LASING GAS IS OZONE, WHICH IS PREFERABLY INTRODUCED DIRECTLY INTO   THE LASER CAVITY FREE OF PRIOR EXCITATION SO AS TO AVOID UNDDESIRED CHEMICAL REACTIONS. LASER ENERGY AT 6.60, 8.49, 9,01 AND 9.06 MICRONS IS PRODUCED.

Feb. 23, 1971 B R, BRONF|N ETAL 3,566,305 4 NITROGEN-OZONE LASER Filed Dec. 23, 1968 5 vra/@wr 3,566,305 NITROGEN-OZONE LASER Barry R. Bronin, Weatherslield, and Daniel J. Seery,

Glastonbury, Conn., assignors to United Aircraft Corporation, East Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 23, 1968, Ser. No. 786,481 Int. Cl. H015 3/09, 3/22 U.S. Cl. 331-945 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of invention This invention relates to gas lasers, and more particularly to a gas laser for producing radiation in the infrared.

Description of the prior art The mechanics of gas lasers are currently Well known. A great deal of attention has been paid recently to the excitation of a lasing gas to an energy level capable of emitting photons `and thereby participating in stimulated emission of coherent light within a laser cavity as a result of energy preferentially transferred to the lasing gas through near-resonant collision with a vibrationally excited energizing gas. One type of gas laser which has received a great deal of attention is the nitrogen-carbon dioxide laser. In this type of gas laser, the nitrogen is excited to the first vibrational level, and it transfers energy into the upper laser level (O01) of carbon dioxide preferentially, so as to provide a population inversion which supports laser emission. The emission of photons by the carbon dioxide causes the molecules thereof to assume the energy of the lower laser level (100) and molecules in this energy level rapidly decay via gas collisions to the `ground state.

The method of exciting the energizing gas may vary in accordance with the particular design parameters of a given laser, as is Iknown in the art. *FOI instance, electric excitation may be utilized in any of several forms. One well known form is radio-frequency excitation; another lform is directed current plasma excitation; and a third known form is microwave excitation. Additionally, it is possible to excite the energizing gas by causing it to absorb intense light of a frequency matched to the spacing of the low-lying vibrational energy levels of the energizing gas. For instance nitrogen may be raised to its lirst vibrational level by absorption of light with a wavelength of about 4.3 microns, and carbon monoxide may be raised to its first vibrational energy level by absorption of light with a wavelength of about 4.7 microns. Another known method of obtaining energizing gas in an excited state comprises the sudden cooling of a heated energizing gas. Thus, the energizing gas may be heated as a result of the utilization of any thermal source (such as the simple burning of fuel) or by a heating arc, and it may thereafter be caused to ow through an expansion nozzle at supersonic speeds so `as to freeze the energy in the lower vibrational levels while translational cooling takes place, thus providing a highly non-equilibrium population distribution with preferential excitation at these levels.

1 nit-ed :States Patent Olce Patented Feb. 2.3, 1971 In the preferred embodiment of the invention, gas temperatures equal to 1000 deg. K. or greater will `be achieved in the energizing gas before expansion.

A recent advancement in the art comprises the technique of mixing, wherein the lasing gas is caused to mix intimately with the vibrationally excited energizing gas directly within the laser cavity to accomplish population inversion in the lasing gas so that the energizing of the lasing gas to its upper laser level or levels does not cause pre-lasing, and is not depleted by collisional energy transfers or other adiabatic phenomena prior to entrance into the laser cavity whe-re the energy may participate in the generation of laser light.

In the aforementioned gas lasers, the wavelength of the laser radiation obtained depends upon the laser transitions between various energy levels. A great deal of work has been done with the carbon dioxide laser which produces laser light at 10.6 microns, and with other laser systems which produce light at various other wavelengths. These are well suited to some uses, but atmospheric absorption of light at certain frequencies limits their usefulness. Additionally, laser energy may be utilized for useful processes, in which it becomes .important to stimulate chemical reactions and other molecular transitions pro vided that light of a proper Wavelength can be obtained, (a well known process called photolysis).

It should be understood that the laser emission occurs over a band of wavelengths approximately centered on the wavelengths listed. Furthermore, due to uncertainties existing in the present art, only approximate assignments of these laser wavelengths can be made.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a laser capable of radiation at infrared wavelengths.

According to the present invention, nitrogen is utilized as an energizing gas to vibrationally excite ozone to an upper laser level in a gas laser, whereby stimulated coherent emission of electromagnetic radiation or laser energy will result at an infrared wavelength.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in the light of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION `OF THE DRAWING The sole figure herein comprises a schematic block diagram of a laser system in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the figure, a source 1 of molecular nitrogen energizing gas delivers the gas to a vibrational excitation means 2. The vibrational excitation means 2 may comprise an electronic discharge of either the direct current, radio frequency, or microwave variety, as is known in the art. lt may on the other hand comprise a source of intense light of approximately 4.3 microns. It may also comprise means for thermally heating the energizing gas and for thereafter suddenly cooling it, such as by passing it through a rapid expansion nozzle to freeze the vibrational energy states. All of these techniques are well known in the art, and the choice of one of them is not germane to the present invention.

The vibrationally excited energizing gas passes from the vibrational excitation means 2 into a laser cavity 3 which also receives ozone from a source 4 of lasing gas. The lasing gas is preferably introduced into the laser cavity at a relatively low temperature, such as room temperature. Methods of accomplishing efficient mixing of gases are known in the art. This causes intimate mixing of the vibrationally excited energizing gas withl the lasing gas within the optical cavity so that essentially each molecule of lasing gas which is brought to an upper laser level of energy will emit photons directly within the laser cavity therefore avoiding pre-lasing or spontaneous or vibrational adiabatic equilibration processes which would remove molecules of lasing gas from the upper laser level of excitation by other than the emission of a photon. Additionally, the use of the mixing conguration illustrated in the gure is preferred because ozone is a relatively reactive molecule. Various chemical reactions between the nitrogen and the ozone might yield products not favorable to the creation and preservation of population inversion in the ozone. Hence it lwould in general be somewhat deleterious to have the ozone accompany the nitrogen in the excitation stage where undesirable chemical reaction might ensue.

The flow of the gas from the source 1, through the vibrational excitation means 2 and the laser cavity 3 is caused by a suitable pump and effluent control means 5. The pump and eilluent control means 5 may provide not only for flow through the system, but supersonic ilow in the case where an expansion nozzle is utilized, or high flow at relatively low pressure in the case where an electric discharge is involved in the vibrational excitation means 2. The pump and eluent control means 5 may also provide for the combustion of the euent so as to avoid releasing toxic ozone. As an alternative, however, a leak-tight closed cycle system may be employed if desired, without altering the practice of the essential teachings of the present invention.

The technique of mixing the preferably room-temperature lasing gas into the excited energizing gas promotes a favorable energy transfer process leading to excited state population inversion as exemplified by the following energy transfer processes:

sions is very eicient and a vibrational-state population inversion is established within the O3 molecules. Within an optical cavity, self-sustained lasing between the t002 and/or 101 upper vibrational levels and lower vibrational levels in O3 results.

The laser transitions are as follows:

Approximate Upper Lower Wavelength, level level AE, cm.1 y

The desirable depletion of lower laser levels can be enhanced through the addition of other gases which are el`n`cient agents for transferring vibrational energy to translational energy, such as He, H2. However, the O3 mole- 4 cule itself exhibits high vibrational energy transfer efficiency, so that the need for relaxing additives is minimal.

To produce self-sustained lasing in the flo'w, a highlypolished mirror cavity should be provided to view the mixing region of the flow. This cavity should be coextensive with the region llow containing a linite excited state population inversion density.

From the foregoing laser transitions, it can be seen that the present invention will provide laser radiation at several wavelengths which are not significantly absorbed in the atmosphere. These are in the vicinity of 6.60, 8.49, 9.01 and 9.60 microns. Additionally, the present invention provides light of a Wavelength which is well suited to particular uses not requiring extensive transmission through the atmosphere.

Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to preferred embodiments thereof, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and omissions in the form and detail thereof may be made therein, without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.

Having thus described a typical embodiment of our invention, that which we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

-1. The method of operating a gas laser having a laser cavity comprising:

flowing an energizing gas through said cavity, said energizing gas consisting of vibrationally excited molecular nitrogen; and

contacting a second gas stream Iwith said energizing gas in the laser cavity, the second gas stream consisting of a lasing gas which is predominantly ozone, whereby the energy of said energizing gas is tranferred to the lasing level oi the lasing gas.

2. In the method according to claim 1, the further step which comprises:

adjusting the optical parameters of said laser cavity so as to provide laser radiation over a band of wavelengths approximately centered at 9.60 microns.

3. In the method according to claim 1, the further step which comprises:

adjusting the optical parameters of said laser cavity so as to provide laser radiation over a band of wavelengths approximately centered at 6.60 microns.

4. In the method according to claim 1, the further step which comprises:

adjusting the optical parameters of said laser cavity so as to provide laser radiation over a band of wavelengths approximately centered at 8.49 microns.

5. In the method according to claim 1, the further step which comprises:

adjusting the optical parameters of said laser cavity so as to provide laser radiation over a band of wavelengths approximately centered at 9.01 microns.

References Cited Patel: Selective Excitation Through Vibrational Transfer and Optical Maser Action in N2-CO2 Physical Review Letters, vol. 13, No. 21, November 1964, pp. 617-619.

RODNEY D. BENNETT, Primary Examiner D. C. KAUFMAN, Assistant Examiner 

